College Basketball "off-season" Thread (players leaving/coaching changes/recruiting)

[allen3xis]

That's not hate

Wade put that team on his back..

You still didn't tell me if he's ever had a legit player over 6'8 or if he's ever developed a big...the answer is he hasn't.

And he gets out coached on a regular basis against other top coaches.

he'll have you running a 3 guard system with all three 6'4 and under...just like at Marquette...and making Sweet 16's here and there but doingnothing of national importance.

Tubby, Bo Ryan and Izzo will all get the better of him more times than not

 

[アミーゴ]

A final 4 is a final 4....it aint just d wade on that team, or the best players team in the nation would make the final 4 yr in and out... didnt see durant orbeas make it...

we will be back on the national stage within my 4 years of eligibility

ps i love that post u put about me, when i was bout 2 make my trip 2 gtown...i committed week and a half before i was supposed 2 go, thats why i didnt make thetrip out

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by Ecook0808

A final 4 is a final 4....it aint just d wade on that team, or the best players team in the nation would make the final 4 yr in and out... didnt see durant or beas make it...

we will be back on the national stage within my 4 years of eligibility

ps i love that post u put about me, when i was bout 2 make my trip 2 gtown...i committed week and a half before i was supposed 2 go, thats why i didnt make the trip out

And you are?????

Play for IU??

 

[allen3xis]

Eh..if you wana talk about it..

Or was it that you never were gona get an offer from III and staff?

If the National Stage is a Sweet 16, sure...nothing more.

...Mo Creek is the only real player Crean has signed up so far.

 

[アミーゴ]

I think anyone that gets a d1 full ride at a bcs conference is "a real player"

as for me being a real player, time will tell....ive played with some of the best in the world, but i obviously have a long way to go to fulfill my dreams realtalk.

JT3 is a great guy, and i wish ur team the best....cept for monroe hahaha but thats another story

buuuuut we WILL be a top 10 team in 2 years

 

[allen3xis]

Na, no offense..any DI player is legit...different levels of it tho..

By that I meant potential First Team All Big Ten caliber

Top 10 team in 2 years? Definitely don't see that...just IMO.

 

[アミーゴ]

you dont think i have the potential to be all big ten 1st team?

u seem to know ur stuff, and i personally think by J is top 5 in the big 10 right now....other parts of my game need work, but by JR yr i think ill be doin12-16 a game...

btw we are getting a lot of interest from some big names that ppl wont expect

 

[allen3xis]

At this point, I'd have to say no....although admittedly I haven't seen enough to make that call....other people's opinions I value have said youcan shoot it but the other parts of your game will need some work. (and we're talking top 5 players in the conference)

But I'll have to wait and see.

I have no doubt IU will get some big time players...I just don't see it being THAT quick of a turn around in 2 years. Again, my question and doubts withCrean is if he ever has a true post presence.

For a guard though...I can't say you made a poor choice going to play for Crean..you'll have every opportunity.

 

[lnmymind]

This is a funny exchange when you read between the lines

 

[allen3xis]

Well, to be blatantly honest and get it all out there...I wasn't disappointed he chose IU.

Nothing personal.

 

[ricardo malta]

thanks for the hate tho
Why is it when somebody says something somebody doesn't agree with it's hate? Dudes stay usin' the "hate" as a cop out. Pure laziness.

Ecook0808

Be humble fam. You never know who's reading what and who it could get back to. A message board is NOT a place you wanna start tootin'your own horn. Best of luck though, I'm rootin' for Bloomington Community College to get it together within the next 3-4 years.

 

[allen3xis]

[h1]A-10 ShootAround: Looking for more national attention[/h1]
ESPN.com

Updated: August 6, 2008

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AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Xavier proved to be the cream of the A-10 crop, winning 30 games and advancing to the Elite Eight.
[h3]Regular-season crash and burn?[/h3]
By Kyle Whelliston
ESPN.com
After three seasons on the skids, the Atlantic 10 was on the verge of an explosive re-emergence last winter. The marquee wins came indroves: UMass and Rhode Island won at Syracuse. URI and Dayton (topplers of Louisville and Pittsburgh) were ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in ageneration. And Xavier beat Kansas State, Virginia and Auburn by an average of 29 points. A-10 teams won three out of every five nonconference games, hurtlingthe league into the rarified air of the RPI's top five. Since the other two conferences that ended up with seven or more 20-win teams received seven (Big12) and nine (Big East) NCAA bids respectively, five for the A-10 would have seemed a reasonable estimate. Then the conference season started. Previouslyoverachieving programs began racking up injuries and losses. By the start of February, Xavier was the conference's lone Top 25 team. Outside the league,there was a general perception that something had gone horribly wrong in the A-10 -- or worse yet, that much of the early-season success had been some sort ofmirage. "There's a last hurdle we have to jump over to get to the level of prestige I think this league deserves," said Dayton head coach BrianGregory, whose injury-riddled team finished 8-8 in the A-10 and was the highest RPI team (32) to miss the NCAAs. "Power leagues have great nonconferencerecords, they have quality teams and quality wins. … The next step is for people to realize that when we get into our league schedule, when you put thosequality teams against each other, those aren't bad losses. Those are good wins for the other teams." Indeed, the Atlantic 10's downturn is morecomplicated than a simple crash-and-burn. The 2007-08 season was the first in which the league used a three-tiered schedule, designed to match programs ofsimilar caliber twice while limiting top teams' exposure to the league's laggards. With too many good teams playing each other, the standingscollapsed, as eight of 14 teams ended with records within two games of .500. As a result, teams with impressive RPIs ended up with DOA Dance hopes. "Itjust says a lot about the league," said Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron, who took a No. 11 seed into the A-10 tourney with a 7-9 record and settled forthe NIT after a first-round loss. "It's a strong a league as it's ever been." But a lack of blanket TV coverage meant that many of thecontests that shaped the league went unseen by both casual fans and the NCAA selection committee. While top leagues are used to having all their games beamedcoast-to-coast, key A-10 matchups were radio-only. "Our exposure is not really maxed out yet," said Gregory. "One game in particular I can thinkof, there was a Xavier-Rhode Island game in mid-February [an 81-77 XU win]. If that was nationally televised, nobody would have walked away from that gamesaying anything other than 'Those are two NCAA-caliber teams.'" New commissioner Bernadette McGlade has made TV a top priority. In addition to apackage of games on ESPN, more league games will be on national cable than ever before, thanks to an increased partnership with CBS College Sports (formerlyCSTV). "We'll continue to grow and build our brand," said McGlade, who assumed the post in June. "The best way to let people see what theA-10 is all about is to improve our television exposure, to get into as many people's homes as possible. That's first and foremost on my list."One thing is for sure -- as the Atlantic 10 goes forward, there will be no excuses. "At the end of the day, you have to win," said McGlade. "Ifyou go .500 in your league, it's a testament to how good your league is, but teams really have to work to somehow get over the hump."[h3]Five Things To Watch in '08-09[/h3]
By Kyle Whelliston
ESPN.com
• Rich get richer
While a lot of member teams had their struggles in January and February, Xavier put the regular-season title away early. The Musketeers snapped off an 11-gamewinning streak against A-10 foes, compiled a 14-2 league record and was granted a No. 3-seeded Dance ticket despite a tourney semifinal loss to SaintJoseph's. From there, they defended their high bracket position with three straight wins before falling to UCLA in the West regional final. Having toreplace four of six top scorers off an Elite Eight team might seem like a time to rebuild. But in Xavier's case, it's a matter of the rich gettingricher. Head coach Sean Miller, whose personal finances are fine with an extension that runs through the 2017-18 season, signed five stellar freshmen for2008-09. The acquisition of Kenny Frease, a 6-11 center from northernOhio who rated as the No. 10 incoming big man by Scouts Inc., represented a recruiting victory over Notre Dame, Pitt and Kentucky. Shooting guard Brian Walsh, the "best player in western Pennsylvania"according to Scouts Inc., will also join the Musketeers. And there's more help on the way. In late July, Jordan Crawford came in after averaging 9.7 ppg for turbulence-addled Indiana as a freshman.Crawford will reportedly seek a waiver to begin his Xavier career immediately instead of sitting out the NCAA-mandated transfer year. • Improvedrecruiting
As the profile of the conference grows, so does the incoming talent level. Among the ESPN 100 list of the top Class of 2008 prep players in the country, sevenwill play for Atlantic 10 schools this fall. That's up sharply from a year ago, when a pair of A-10 recruits (Dayton's Chris Wright and LavoyAllen of Temple) were named to the list. In addition to Xavier and its standout newcomers Frease and Walsh, the Musketeers' bitter regional rivalDayton also increased its arsenal. Paul Williams, a shooting guard fromthe Detroit area, chose the Flyers over Cincinnati and Michigan and ranked as the No. 13 prospect at his position. Bruising 6-10 Josh Benson (the No. 30 power forward) attended Dunbar High,just a two-mile drive from UD Arena. Gregory credits Wright for "opening the door" to the city of Dayton after years of seeing its best recruitschoose the Big Ten and Big East. Also on the ESPN 100 list was the nation's No. 19 point guard, David Gibbs from The Master's School in Connecticut. He'll suit up forUMass beginning this season. • Principle offense
UMass also features the conference's lone new head coach this summer. Travis Ford parlayed 49 wins in two seasons and a deep NIT run into a lucrativecontract at Oklahoma State, and the school found a replacement within a week. Derek Kellogg, who starred as a Minuteman point guard during the mid-90s glorydays, was plucked off a Memphis bench where he spent eight years as an assistant to John Calipari. One of Kellogg's first orders of business was to hireVance Walberg, who left Pepperdine's head job midway through last season. Walberg is widely credited for pioneering the attacking "dribble-drivemotion" offense that led the Tigers to within a hair's breadth of the national title this past April. Together, the innovator and one of the menresponsible for popularizing it will pair up to make Amherst the dribble-drive capital of the East. "We played a variant of Vance's offense atMemphis," said Kellogg. "I plan on doing the exact same thing here at UMass, those same basic principles. … They let us tell our kids, 'Just playbasketball.' They can put the ball on the floor, they can create, and I feel like that's the greatest way to play." • Duking itout
Duquesne has been making a lot of noise on the court, going from three wins to 17 in just two seasons. But the Dukes can't seem to have a quiet offseason.It's been almost two years since five players were injured in a campus shooting incident. Stuart Baldonado, who was shot in the arm, sued the school lastyear for failing to provide adequate security at the dance the players were attending. Earlier this summer, two other injured players, guard Kojo Mensah and big-man Shawn James, decided to forgo their senior seasons and signed with agents. Both wentundrafted. In June, they also sued the school for security shortcomings related to the September 2006 shooting. Furthermore, the separate lawsuits claimed thathead coach Ron Everhart forced James and Mensah to practice before their gun-inflicted wounds healed. James contends that Everhart demanded the removal adoctor-prescribed boot during those practices. Everhart denied the allegations through local media. • Who cares about the term"mid-major"?
The league is clearly attempting to establish itself among the elite, and the top hot-button issue in the A-10 last year was the term "mid-major." InJanuary, Xavier refused to accept a Web site's Mid-Major Player of the Week award for point guard Drew Lavender, and outgoing commissioner Linda Bruno made the rejection of the label a defacto league-wide policy. But the new commissioner, who spent the previous nine years as associate commissioner of the very high-major ACC, isn't one tolegislate semantics. "The bottom line is that results speak for themselves," said McGlade. "I don't care what you want to call us … I'mnot going to lose a lot of sleep over whether people use the 'mid-major' term or if they don't. I will lose sleep if they don't look at us andknow our brand of A-10 basketball and realize that it's some of the best basketball in this country."[h3]If I were commish …[/h3]
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
The television contract is not good. The A-10 has no regular home on television where you know you'll find a game. The conference hasto do a much better job of promoting the elite teams in this conference, especially Xavier, Saint Joseph's, Temple and UMass in the near future. Also, theA-10 also moved its tournament to Atlantic City. It should stay there. The conference needs to find a permanent home to start building a tradition in itsevent. Scheduling teams' three repeat opponents should be done without any subjectivity. It should be done by a computer so there is no bias. And don'tget me going on whether St. Bonaventure should be in the league.

 

[allen3xis]

These ESPN pieces are actually pretty good for this time of year..

[h4]2008-09 Team Capsules[/h4]

Charlotte
A run to the conference semifinals clinched the 49ers' first 20-win season in three years as Atlantic 10 members. The school showed its appreciation by signing head coach Bobby Lutz, who's led the program to eight postseasons (including five NCAA bids), to a contract extension that runs through the 2012-13 season. The next order of business is finding a replacement for sweet-shooting Leemire Goldwire and his 18.6 ppg, but Lutz might have an answer with newcomer Rashad Coleman, who turned down offers from Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech. Dayton
Rock-steady guard Brian Roberts graduated, along with 18.4 ppg, and was last seen on the Los Angeles Lakers' summer league team. But in addition to Dayton's sparkling recruits, the team is counting on a full season from last year's freshman phenom Chris Wright. The dynamic 6-8 forward averaged double-digit scoring and notched three double-doubles before suffering a severe ankle injury in January -- but he picked up where he left off 10 weeks later, shooting 58 percent from the floor in a pair of NIT games. Duquesne
The Dukes serve as a good barometer for the league's rediscovered toughness -- a second consecutive seven-win overall improvement from 10 wins to 17 but a 7-9 league record and a second straight No. 10 tourney seed. Third-year head coach Ron Everhart hopes to offset his personnel losses with eight signings, a class highlighted by flashy 6-4 SG Melquan Bolding. The Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) product was ticketed for Louisville, but Rick Pitino had to break the commitment when he ran out of scholarships. Fordham
Last season's team couldn't keep the program's momentum going despite five senior starters. The six-win dip to 12-17 marked the first time since the 2003-04 season the Rams had a losing record in conference play. Fordham will rebuild around Jiovanny Fontan, a talented 5-11 point guard out of St. Anthony's (N.J.). George Washington
After three consecutive NCAA appearances, the Colonials dropped off the map in a hurry. Eleven conference losses added up to more than the three previous seasons' combined total, and GW's suspension- and dismissal-riddled campaign will be quickly and easily forgotten. The lone bright spot, Rob Diggs (13.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), will return, and so should point guard Travis King, who missed 2007-08 after a knee injury last summer. La Salle
The Explorers returned to the A-10 tourney after a year off (only 12 of the league's 14 teams go to the tourney) and capped their improvement with an exciting first-round win over Duquesne. Sharpshooter Darnell Harris won the 3-point shooting contest at the Final Four in San Antonio before graduating. La Salle's longstanding beef deficiency will be emphatically addressed by 6-9 Brooklyn boy Vernon Goodridge, who spent two seasons on Mississippi State's bench before transferring. Massachusetts
Outgoing senior Gary Forbes and his considerable output (19.4 ppg and 7.5 rpg) has left town, but the backcourt heroes from UMass' run to an NIT runner-up finish are coming back for more. Senior point guard Chris Lowe led the conference in assists last season with 6.3 per game. Ricky Harris, who was the team's leading scorer in three of the Minutemen's four NIT games (including 27 in the final against Ohio State) will be around for two more years. Rhode Island
The Rams' NIT loss at the hands of Creighton was a microcosm of a season that began 14-1 and ended with eight losses in nine games. Rhody was up by 17 points against the Bluejays but lost 74-73 on a last-second shot. Prolific scorer Will Daniels and his 18.6 ppg will be missed, but Jim Baron has a blue-chip replacement in Orion Outerbridge. UConn, Kansas and Xavier were among the teams angling for the rangy 6-9 center, who opted to stay close to his Boston home. Richmond
The Spiders doubled their 2006-07 win total from eight to 16 last season -- with 10 underclassmen, no less -- but a key injury may end up putting the skids on their rapid rise through the A-10 ranks. Leading scorer and rebounder Dan Geriot (14.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) suffered a knee injury in late July while playing in a summer tournament. The 6-9 forward will likely redshirt the 2008-09 season, putting increased production pressure on the backcourt of David Gonzalvez and Kevin Anderson, Richmond's other double-figure scorers from a season ago. St. Bonaventure
The Bonnies have not made the 12-team A-10 tourney since 2005, and second-year head coach Mark Schmidt will need a lot to go right for that streak to break. All three leading scorers from an eight-win team have graduated, and three junior college signings will attempt to plug the gaps. One is Jonathan Hall, a 6-4 shooting guard who helped South Plains College (Texas) to a NJCAA DI national championship this spring, while earning the tournament's MVP award. Saint Joseph's
The Hawks' NCAA first-round loss to Oklahoma spelled the end of two fine frontcourt careers of Pat Calathes and Rob Ferguson (combined 29.4 ppg and 12.3 rpg in 2007-0. But the 6-9 Ahmad Nivins (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg), an explosive leaper who led the conference in shooting percentage with 64.7, will be a feared force as a senior. A walk-on to watch is point guard Michael Auriemma, the son of Connecticut women's head coach Geno. Saint Louis
Rick Majerus was a late hire last summer, but he somehow molded a patchwork roster into a winning team (16-15) despite the A-10's most anemic offense (60.1 ppg). Now we get to see what he can do with his own recruits. Along with 6-11 center Brett Thompson, the Billikens will feature six other new players. It's a class that includes power forward Brian Conklin and 5-11 point guard Kwamain Mitchell. Majerus found two keepers who will serve as key backcourt holdovers in Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell (combined 26.9 ppg). Temple
The Owls' media guide last season featured 6-5 scoring dynamos Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale posed as boxers on the cover. The pair proceeded to claim the A-10 tourney championship belt and scored a combined 35.6 ppg throughout the season. Christmas, the conference's leading scorer last season at 19.7 ppg, will fight on as a senior, but Tyndale is gone. After the program's first 20-win season since the 2000-01 Elite Eight campaign, Temple locked up head coach Fran Dunphy until the 2013-14 season. Xavier
There's no understating the importance of point guard Drew Lavender to the Musketeers' 30-win season and Elite Eight run, especially his emotional leadership and willingness to play through injury. He, along with seniors Josh Duncan and Stanley Burrell are gone, but head coach Sean Miller will have an embarrassment of freshman riches in competition for the position. Terrell Holloway had signed with Indiana but was released from his commitment after Kelvin Sampson's resignation. Brad Redford won Michigan's "Mr. Basketball" award, and Mark Lyons chose the X over Washington and UNLV.

[h4]2007-08 Atlantic 10 Standings[/h4] [table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[/td] [td]Overall record[/td] [td]A-10 record[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Xavier*[/td] [td]30-7[/td] [td]14-2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Temple*[/td] [td]21-13[/td] [td]11-5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]UMass^[/td] [td]25-11[/td] [td]10-6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Saint Joseph's*[/td] [td]21-13[/td] [td]9-7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Charlotte^[/td] [td]20-14[/td] [td]9-7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Richmond[/td] [td]16-15[/td] [td]9-7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dayton^[/td] [td]23-11[/td] [td]8-8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]La Salle[/td] [td]15-17[/td] [td]8-8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rhode Island^[/td] [td]21-12[/td] [td]7-9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Duquesne[/td] [td]17-13[/td] [td]7-9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]St. Louis[/td] [td]16-15[/td] [td]7-9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Fordham[/td] [td]12-17[/td] [td]6-10[/td] [/tr][tr][td]George Washington[/td] [td]9-17[/td] [td]5-11[/td] [/tr][tr][td]St. Bonaventure's[/td] [td]8-22[/td] [td]2-14[/td] [/tr][/table] *NCAA tournament
^NIT berth For all the A-10 news and notes, check out the league page.

[h4]Top Returning Scorers[/h4] [table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Player[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dionte Christmas, Temple, Sr.[/td] [td]19.7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Ricky Harris, UMass, Jr.[/td] [td]18.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Kevin Lisch, Saint Louis, Sr.[/td] [td]14.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Ahmad Nivins, Saint Joseph's, Sr.[/td] [td]14.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Jimmy Baron, Rhode Island, Sr.[/td] [td]14.2[/td] [/tr][/table]
[h4]Top Returning Rebounders[/h4][table][tr][td]
[/td] [/tr][/table]





..
Chris Lowe will become a Top 10 PG this season..he and Ricky Harris a damn nice back court.

Derrick Brown is an ATHLETE.

Dionte Christmas..POY, easily. Temple had a nice big freshmen last season..forget his name..but he had some upside.

Vernon Goodridge...blast from the past there.

Interested to see what the other Chris Wright can do.

 

[allen3xis]

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August 6, 2008
[h1]Five-star Hairston evaluates options[/h1]
Brian McLawhorn
Devils Illustrated Publisher

Talk about it in Devil Insider
Spotsylvania (Va.) Courtland five-star power forward Joshua Hairston is a hot topic for the Duke Blue Devils fan base. After receiving a scholarship offer from Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, Hairston immediately placed Duke high on his list. Since that time, many have been watching his every move in hopes that he chooses to play his college ball in Durham.

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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Josh Hairston remains undecided.[/td] [/tr][/table]The original plan was to have a decision before the month of August is complete. While Hairston has said he hopes to have it done by the start of the season, he is still adamant of his overall desire to be committed by the start of the school year.

"That is still the plan as of right now," Hairston said. "I really would like to have it done, but I am still looking at things and don't have a leader. I've compiled all the information I need to make my decision, so it's just a matter of weighing all of the pros and cons. I'm looking at each school and trying to see how I fit in and what future recruits are coming in.

"I want to check out how many recruits and players at my position will be there at the time I come in. I want to make sure it's a good situation for me."

Prior to his trip to Las Vegas, fellow DC Assault teammate and Duke target Tyler Thornton said his hope was to sit down with Hairston and discuss the Blue Devils and what the program would have to offer each of them individually and as a group. At the moment, the face-to-face conversation has not yet happened, however, the two have discussed things briefly over the phone.

"We actually didn't sit down and talk while we were out there," Hairston explained. "We didn't have the opportunity to really. We have talked over the phone. It was just more of a conversation about how exciting it is for both of us to be recruited by a school like Duke.

"I'm close to Tyler and Andre (Dawkins) and hopefully we will be able to sit down and talk about things soon. We are all three really good friends and I think it would be exiting to play in college together. It would be a really fun thing for us to be at the same place and all of us already being friends before we got there."

With Dawkins already committed to Duke, and Thornton also strongly considering the Blue Devils, how much of an impact will his friend's recruitment impact his decision?

"I think it will have a huge effect on me," he said. "It's something I have to really think about. We've played on the same teams for a long time and we would really feel comfortable playing college ball together. To have an opportunity to play college ball with guys I've won with, and won championships with is something that has to be considered."

Should the Blue Devils strike gold and land Hairston and Thornton, the duo, combined with Dawkins would bring a unique dimension to the Blue Devils. The combination of players that have won championships together prior to college would give any team a step up from the very beginning. Winning is an attitude, and these high level prospects clearly possess that.

That attitude is clearly shown through the 16-Under DC Assault squad in which Thornton and Hairston play on.

"We really play together as a team at DC Assault," Hairston said. "We don't have one kid that thinks of himself before the team. Our focus is on defense first and foremost. We understand how you have to play to win championships.

"In Vegas we were down by 15 points with seven minutes left against the New England Playaz and we came back and won in overtime," he said. "Coach had been talking to me about trying to relax and calm down and just play my game. He said if I did that everything would be all right. We were just playing really tight and not playing as a team like we usually do.

"My coach called a timeout and just talked to us and told us to settle down. He wasn't yelling or anything. He just said relax and play our game. After that I just started crashing the boards hard and I started to get some and ones, so things started to fall into place. But that's how we play."

That kind of mindset is exactly what Coach K and his staff looks for in a player, and by adding a player such as Hairston, they've instantly got a winner.

Throughout the summer process, Hairston said he has seen a noticeable change in himself and his game.

"I can see a dramatic change in myself," he said. "I've gotten better as a player and more importantly as a person. Playing with such a good group of guys has really helped me continue to change and become better in everything I do."







..

August 7, 2008
[h1]Robinson trims list to five[/h1]
Shay Wildeboor
JayhawkSlant.com Senior Editor

Talk about it in Allen Fieldhouse Slant Suite

Get breaking news on your cell phone!

Thomas Robinson began the spring and summer AAU circuit as somewhat of a virtual unknown. By the time the circuit ended, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward from Brewster Academy had emerged as one of the most heavily recruited players in the class. When the week started, 18 schools were listed on Robinson's Rivals.com profile, but the four-star prospect just informed Jayhawk Slant that his list has been trimmed and just five programs are left standing.

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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]KU made the cut for Thomas Robinson[/td] [/tr][/table]When the week started, Robinson, the No. 82 ranked prospect in the class of 2009, was considering Boston College (offer), George Washington (offer), Georgetown, Georgia, Kansas (offer), Kentucky (offer), Louisville (offer), Marquette (offer), Maryland (offer), Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, Oklahoma (offer), Pittsburgh (offer), South Florida (offer), Texas, Virginia (offer), Virginia Tech (offer) and others.

However, Robinson informed Jayhawk Slant that he's trimmed his list of schools and only five remain.

"Yes, I have narrowed my list of schools," said Robinson. "Memphis, USC, Kansas, Miami and Texas are the schools I'm looking at. Memphis, Kansas and USC are on top. I still have not scheduled any visits yet, but that's something I'm going to do soon. I hope to have that done by next week.

"I still have to get a few things straightened out," he added. "I don't start school until September 9, so I will start taking my visits after that. All of my visits should be scheduled by next week."

According to Brewster academy head coach Jason Smith, Robinson's official visit to Kansas will likely take place during the weekend of September 20. If for some reason that date doesn't work, the No. 23 ranked power forward in the class could arrive in Lawrence during the weekend of Midnight Madness.

No matter the case, there is absolutely no denying the fact that Kansas is one of the teams to beat for one of the elite prospects in the class of 2009. Robinson spent a few minutes talking to Jayhawk Slant about his interest in Bill Self's program.

"The coaching staff at Kansas is great," he said. "They've got great players at Kansas, the style of play is great and the program is great. I've talked to coach Self several times and he's spent a lot of time recruiting me."
[/td] [td]
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[アミーゴ]

lol toot my own horn?? i said i have tons of holes in my game, i dont say im gunna be the best frosh in the big 10 or nothin....


im real with myself.

im glad i didnt choose gtown as well haha

btw when ppl think cal at memphis is up to shady stuff, u have NO idea

 

[ricardo malta]

Fam, are you blind, dumb, or just plain ******ed?

You're an incoming freshman who hasn't played a game of college ball yet and you're throwing out accusations towards another program on a publicboard? Do you realize the type of gag order the IU coaching staff would put on you? Do you realize the negative backlash that could have on you before youeven step foot on IU's locker room?

Seriously, take it from me, somebody who played a D1 sport at a high profile school (2 to be exact). Keep your mouth shut about other teams, players, coaches,and especially yourself on anything that others can read, listen to, etc.

 

[wildkycat]

[h1]Cats' Madness record threatened?[/h1]
Illinois has its sights set on one of Kentucky's titles.

Those seven national championships are safe, but the Illini are targeting UK's record for most-attended basketball practice.

Sort of.

There's no chance that Illinois could eclipse the Wildcats' mark of 23,313 fans in a basketball arena. So the Illini are taking it outside. Illinois announced today that its men's and women's basketball programs will hold "The World's Biggest Basketball Practice" on an outdoor court Oct. 11 at Memorial Stadium, where the Illini play football.

The "madness" will follow Illinois' homecoming football game against Minnesota. According to Illinois' press release, the event is expected to set an attendance record for a men's basketball practice and for a women's basketball event. By the way, the press release does not say what happens if it rains.

UK set what's believed to be the record for a basketball practice last season.

 

[アミーゴ]

Fam- Im not saying anything that really matters....if I wanted to say things of importance Id talk about what really happened to BJ, but maybe he can come inhere and let yall know....


Illinois has had that idea for months by the way....they pitch it 2 recruits, its a cool idea

 

[jamesonnt]

Story, drop me some dirt in a PM.

And it's cool that you're hyped about possibly getting some
big name players but top 10 in 2 years .. I'm not seeing that, either.

sorry.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by Ecook0808

Fam- Im not saying anything that really matters....if I wanted to say things of importance Id talk about what really happened to BJ, but maybe he can come in here and let yall know....


Illinois has had that idea for months by the way....they pitch it 2 recruits, its a cool idea

that bum *$! *+*!+ post on here?

 

[worldbeefreeg]

^^^ I think he does but Malik has never exposed who he is.

 

[tmay407]

Did anyone in Florida ever happen to see David Loubeau play? Someone posted on a message board that he's by far the best ball handling PF he's everseen. And this kid was supposedly getting recruited by A&M a few years ago...(I'm not taking that seriously, it's probably just some dude withmaroon-tinted glasses on). But I also read an article a while back from an NBA scout saying that Loubeau was gonna be a hell of a player, and that A&M gota steal in a kid that was vastly underrated.

Anyone ever seen him in person? I wanna know if I have something to look forward to this year...



edit:
I got a present for allen, and maybe bigmike, too.

Kemba Walker (I know you love his game, allen) on Jrue Holliday (bigmike, you're the only UCLA fan I can remember)

I know bigmike, go ahead and point to the scoreboard and recruiting class rankings if you get mad about this...

 

[allen3xis]

Kemba took that little stutter step..like, "come here, catch up"

Then BOOM

..
And I'll ignore that...cause it holds no weight and is not reliable. Not even worth commenting on.

 

[shannonscrooks]

After three consecutive NCAA appearances, the Colonials dropped off the map in a hurry. Eleven conference losses added up to more than the three previous seasons' combined total, and GW's suspension- and dismissal-riddled campaign will be quickly and easily forgotten. The lone bright spot, Rob Diggs (13.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), will return, and so should point guard Travis King, who missed 2007-08 after a knee injury last summer.
The beloved Alma Mater has definitely fallen on hard times. The inability to recruit good local talent still baffles me. I think Diggs was theonly DMV product on the squad last year. I honestly thought Hobbs was in line to replace Calhoun when he finally steps down but as of late I think I amcompletely off.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

So, y'all _'s just gonna leave me in the dark and not let me know who this guy is????